


Returns

by lknopeswyatt (certifiablemess)



Series: College Librarian AU [1]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 18:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11537655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/certifiablemess/pseuds/lknopeswyatt
Summary: Modern College Librarian AU, in which Leslie doesn't hate libraries and Ben is the new library assistant.





	Returns

It's Ben's first real week on the job as a library assistant at Indiana University. He doesn't know how he managed to snag the position -- considering that his major has nothing to do with literature -- but, if the school wants to pay him to check out a few people's books every now and then, he's not going to question it.

So far, it has been as uneventful as he anticipated, except for this morning when one guy (whose ID card named him as Craig) literally yelled at Ben for taking too long to search the library catalogue.  
     'Hey, could you maybe try to keep the yelling to a minimum? It's just- you know- some people are trying to study and it's- noise can be disruptive, you know?' Ben said. In his head, he thought he sounded pretty authoritative. In reality, he was twitching all over the place.  
     'Oh, so when I yell it's called "noise" but when Bonnie Tyler does it it's called "singing"!' Craig groaned, his voice getting higher and louder. 'Well, guess what? Every now and then I fall apart too!'  
     Being as non-confrontational as he is, Ben let it go immediately and accepted one final string of yells when the catalogue search gave no results. Then he realised he made a typo in the search bar, but Craig stormed off before he could say anything. Ben really doesn't know how he got this job.

It's late in the afternoon when somebody bothers him again, though he wouldn't call her a bother.

Ben has seen her flitting around the library everyday, borrowing at least 3 books every other day. On his first day, she was his first customer and she didn't complain when he momentarily messed up the system by scanning a book twice. She just smiled, tight-lipped but not at all like a sneer, and talked him through fixing it.  
     'Wow, maybe you should be the one working here,' Ben joked, scanning her student ID.  
     'Oh, I did last year. But I won too many arguments with too many different students so my hours have been permanently put on hold,' she said.  
     'You won, huh?'  
     'Depends on who you ask but, yes, I definitely won.' The girl -- Leslie, as the computer told him -- smirked and gathered her stack of historical biographies. 'You might want to look out for a guy named Craig. He never stops yelling. Ever. And he's super pushy. Also, a girl called Marcia. She never borrows anything but she always asks if "The Scarlet Letter" has been banned yet, because of its sexually deviant themes, and forces abstinence pamphlets in your face for display.'  
     Her stare hardened as she spoke which was both slightly terrifying and weirdly adorable, Ben thought, but whatever.

Usually, she strides in around midday, head held high, and borrows her books over polite conversation with Ben and then she's bouncing off. That's not a routine Ben has already committed to memory on his fifth day of work. Not at all. He's just observant. That's all.  
     Today, she saunters in with her shoulders slumped, no bounce in her steps. Her hands wring the strap of her bookbag, and her eyebrows are knitted even when she smiles at him. Today, she skips her search through the stacks and goes straight to him at the circulation desk.

     'Hi, Ben,' she says, her blue eyes glistening.  
     'Hey, long time no see. Get it? Because we just saw each other yesterday, and everyday for the last week...' he trails off. His lopsided smile twists down when she tries to pass off a shaky sigh as a laugh. 'What's wrong?'  
     Leslie shakes her head with a sigh. 'Just a crappy day is all,' she says with a split-second frown that's quickly replaced by a wide smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. 'Actually, I was wondering if you could help me find a book?'  
     'Sure,' Ben nods and opens up a new window on the computer. 'The system is being pretty slow today, but what are you looking for?'  
     'Madeleine Albright's memoir, _Madam Secretary_.'  
     He raises his eyebrows. 'Research?'  
     'Something like that.' Leslie smiles, a tiny one but it makes her eyes crinkle at the corners. 'It's my go-to feel-good book.'  
     'Oh yeah?' Ben says, fumbling with the keyboard. He's terrible at typing, seriously, how did he get this job?  
     'Yeah, it gives me hope that I'll have an actual career after graduation.' She laughs, somehow monotonously.

Ben lets the computer run it's search and takes a moment to really look at her -- her distant eyes, the down-turned corners of her lips, even her hair is somehow less vibrant today.  
     He softly asks, 'Are you okay?'  
     Leslie shakes her head. 'It's not even that big of a deal, it's just...' she huffs. 'I'm taking this class called "Socio-cultural Landscapes: From the Urbanised Metropolis to Rural Farming Communities".' Her hands move in the air as if she were pitching a headline.  
     'Catchy.'  
     'Yeah, it's basically big city living versus small town lifestyles.'  
     Ben nods as she continues.   
     'Anyways, we had to write an essay highlighting the key differences between the two so I wrote about my hometown, Pawnee -- it's about two hours north-east of Indianapolis -- and in my research I found that a lot of big cities have multiple mascots due to the amount of different sports teams.' Leslie rolls her eyes, jaw clenching, and snaps, 'But I mean, really, why does any one place need more than one mascot? It's selfish, and confusing, and sports are dumb and not a good way to determine what symbolises a city.'  
     Ben jumps when she slams a hand on the counter between them. She murmurs a quick 'sorry' for glaring at him and looks away.  
     'It's okay,' Ben says, eyes wide. Her glare softens with a few deep breaths, and he asks, '...So you wrote about Pawnee's mascot?'

     It's then that Leslie's eyes light up again. 'Mascot, slash attraction, slash best-thing-to-ever-happen-to-America, yes! The one and only, Li'l Sebastian.'  
     Ben tilts his head, smiling at her excitement, and repeats, 'Li'l Sebastian?'  
     'He's a mini-horse, and he's adorable, and he's definitely the best mascot ever.' Leslie confirms. 'If I were trapped in a burning building, I would trust Li'l Sebastian to gallop in and save me from the embers, like a steed that needs no knight in shining armour,' she says dreamily, but still very seriously.  
     'Oh, is that why he's such an icon? Because he's a service horse, kind of, like a police dog but...mini? And a horse?' Ben hopes she didn't notice the little crack in his voice at the mention of police, but she makes a face at him so maybe she did notice. He half expects her to go off at him and ask what he has against the boys in blue but instead--  
     'No. How could he possibly be a service horse? He's a mini-horse,' she says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. She stares him down, intentionally this time, and adds with even more fervor, 'he's the best mini-horse to ever exist.'  
     'Oh, right, yeah of course.'

He fiddles with the computer monitor, and the mouse, and anything within arms reach -- except her hands, that are resting on the counter, because that would be weird. He clears his throat and looks up at her and she's frowning again, staring into the distance.  
     'So why are you upset? You wrote an essay on Li'l Sebastian for an assignment, that's got to be a dream come true,' he says.  
     'Yeah, it was, but my professor penalised me for going over the word limit. A 50% penalty!' Leslie almost yells, incredulous and loud, but Ben pretends not to notice. 'I still got full marks -- or at least as full as I could get -- but how could he expect me to analyse my research and write about Li'l Sebastian in under 1000 words?'  
     'What was your final word count?'  
     '3446 words--'  
     'Oh my god.'  
     '--but the point still stands!' She maintains, holding up a finger at Ben's shaking head. 'And, to top it all off, I left my copy of _Madam Secretary_ in Pawnee and shipping it would be a waste of resources, so here I am.'

Ben doesn't know Leslie very well -- or at all, really -- but in the few times they've met she has been nothing but positive and energetic, so seeing her downcast eyes and hearing the tremble in her sighs is a real right-angle.

     'It's really not that big of a deal.' Leslie shrugs, hopelessly shaking out her arms.  
     'It seems like it is, if it's getting you this down.'

Leslie smiles, her watery blue eyes finally meeting Ben's gaze as he smiles back, lopsided and warm.  
     She takes a deep breath and, after a beat, admits, 'Honestly, I think I'm just homesick. Pawnee really is the best city in Indiana, and America.'  
     'Hey, if it's any consolation...' Ben begins, waving his hand around. He opens and closes his mouth, with little stammers each time, trying to summon an idea. Or a thought. Or anything. '...I don't have anything to say, I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that.'  
     'It's okay, you tried.' Leslie murmurs, a melodious chuckle bubbling through. 'Any luck on the system?'

Ben glances at the computer, the screen finally loaded. He holds up a finger and turns around to the returns trolley. He crouches and murmurs titles as he scans the book spines and when he finds it he jumps, making a little triumphant noise, and presents the book to Leslie. She beams.

     'Fresh off the boat,' he says with a smile then makes a face at himself, because _why did he say that_? 'I hope Madeleine makes you feel better than my lame attempt at being comforting.'  
     'You are a lifesaver,' Leslie grins, eyes locked on the memoir.

Ben shakes his head and slides the book over to her, and doesn't notice when her fingers brush against his. Not at all. What he does notice is that the girl he's seen from the last few days is back; bright-eyed and radiant, a literal ray of sunshine.

     'Thank you so much.' Leslie says again. Ben waves it away, mumbling incoherently, as she asks, 'Are you working tomorrow?'  
     When he nods, she smiles that tight-lipped-not-at-all-a-sneer-smile.  
     'Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow,' she says with a little wave.  
     Ben grins. 'See you tomorrow, Leslie.'

And just like that, Leslie is bouncing out the door. Tomorrow can't come fast enough.

 

 


End file.
